Xenon flash lamp

Description:

This lamp is used for strobe lights. The electrodes are connected to a large capacitor charged to several hundreds of volts. An ignition electrode is wound around the tube. When a high voltage impulse is connected to the ignition electrode, an electric arc with approx. 17 000 °C temperature is formed, an intensive current impulse flows through the lamp and the capacitor discharges. The lamp generates an immensely powerful impulse of pure white light. The energy is discharged very quickly and the impulse power may be in the order of thousands or millions of watts even with a small lamp. Then the arc vanishes and the capacitor charges again from an external power source. These lamps are used in photographic flashes, strobe lights and air navigation lights.